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The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Author
Genre: Women’s Fiction| My Review Rating: ♥♥♥♥.5
386 Pages | Published: February 9, 2021 by HQN
Book Jacket Synopsis
Step into the vineyard with Susan Mallery’s most irresistible novel yet, as one woman searches for the perfect blend of love, family and wine.
Mackenzie Dienes seems to have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s not her family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything. Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.
Staying is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews—but as an employee, nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful waiting for her beneath a painted moon.
Book Links: Amazon
Review & Thoughts
Initial Thoughts: I’ve read a few novels by Susan Mallery and really enjoyed them. I love a good women’s fiction pick!
Themes, Elements & Review Notes: The Vineyard at Painted Moon was my favorite novel by Susan Mallery yet! Filled with themes of love and family the novel hits the heart, in good ways and bad. Life in reality isn’t perfect and things don’t always get tied up in a pretty little bow. One of my favorite themes was finding family through love and friendship and another was that people will eventually show their true colors and sometimes they’ll surprise you.
Well-thought out cast of characters, from Mackenzie’s passion, determination, and drive to Stephanie’s thoughtful and conflicted career and motherhood. Barbara is extremely unlikeable but the author certainly wrote this character to be a terrible individual intentionally. Barbara was such an intriguing character. At the surface she’s a cold-hearted bitch but deeper down she may be sentimental and caring. Either way, she’s got the appearance of having thick skin and doesn’t allow herself to succumb to anything that could make her look weak.
Another interesting theme that was featured was the crazy things people are driven to when money is involved. Instead of realizing what’s important, Barbara was so concerned with not letting go of ownership of her winery that her actions were leading to what could potentially be the winery’s complete downfall.
In a Nutshell: Wonderfully written story about women and the stories of their lives. Filled with themes of love and family and the lengths some people will go to pursue their dreams, even if it’s later in life.
Book Format & Source: Hardback copy [signed by the author!] purchased from Bethany’s Beach Books
About Susan Mallery
Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women’s lives–romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan’s books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.
Critics, too, have heaped praise on “the new queen of romantic fiction.” (Walmart) Booklist says, “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling,” and RT Book Reviews puts her “in a class by herself!”
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool’s Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they’re an integral component to a happy life. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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